Locking device for skidding carriages



Jan. 7, 1930. J. H. DICKINSON 1,742,493

LOCKING DEVICE FOR SKIDDING' CAHRIAGES Filed May 6, 1927 Patented Jan. 7, 1939 v UNITED STATES JOSEPH H. DICKINSON, OF WINTER PAR-K, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR TO LIDGERWOOD MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N, Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PATENT OFFICE LOCKING DEVICE FOR SKIDDING GARBIAGES Application filed May 6,

My invention more particularly relates to askidding carriage provided with novel means for locking the load in a raised position and releasing the load or the load holding 3 means f'romits raised position.

My invention will best be understood by 7 reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment thereof and in which Fig. 1 is a side yview of a carriage" adapted to traverse a main cable in a skidding system, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the suspended block.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is a main cable which may be suspended between a '1 main tower or support and a tail-tower or support in a manner well known and which is not illustrated. The carriage A is provided with wheels A adapted to travel along the main cable. v An outhaul cable 11 is attached at one end to the carriage. A skiddingand hoisting cable 12 passes over a sheave 13 mounted between the side plates 14 of a tiltable block in-. dicated generally at 15. The block 15 is sus- 1- pended from the main body of the carriage A by means of a link or shackle arrangement 16, pivotally attached to the block 15, as at 17, and to the main body of the carriage as at 18, so that the block is tiltable. Theskidding and hoisting line 12 passes from the sheave 13 over a sheave 19 mounted between two side plates 20, constituting a lever 200 preferably pivoted at 21 on the shaft on which the sheave 13 is mounted, the shaft 22 on which the "sheave 19 is mounted preferably passing through slots 23 in the side plates of the lever 200' (the slots of only one of the plates 20 being shown in Fig. 1).

The lower ends of the plates 20 are formed as a hook 24 which is adapted to engage an enlarged part of the cable illustrated as a button 25, fastened preferably near the free end of the hoisting and skidding line 12, and when the parts occupy the position illustrated injFig. 1, the load holding means illu-s 1927. Serial Nb. 189,203.

trated as tongs 26, attached to the free end of the skidding line, together withthe load 27 in case a load is attached, are held in raised position, the hook 24: being suitably formed for this purpose' In accordance with my invention, means are provided for tilting the block 15 and thereby releasing the free end of the skidding line, and a load ifit be'attached. In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, such means comprise the slack pulling cable 28, which passes over one of two side by side sheaves 29 (only one of which is illustrated) mounted in the main body of the carriage A, thence over a sheave 30 mounted on a shaft 31 in the side plates 20 of the said lever, the end of the shaft 31 preferably passing through slots 32- formed in the side plates 1% of the block. After passing over the sheave 30, the slack pulling line passes over the other one of the side by side sheaves 29, and is attached to-the main hoisting and skidding line 12 in a manner well understood in the art, but not illustrated in the drawing. 7

A'spring 33 is' preferably interposed between a spacing member 34: on the block 14, and the lever formed by the plates 20 to hold theiook 24: in position to receive and lock the loa The operation of the device embodying my invention will readily be understood from the foregoing description and is as follows:

Assuming that the carriage is near the head-tower and that a load is to be brought in, the carriage is drawn to a position over the load by the outhaul cable 11 in the usual manner. In case the tongs are locked in raised position, in order to lower them, the

15, as viewed in Fig. 1, is moved to the right about its point of attachment 17 it being un derstood, of course, that the pivotal point 17 may be moved to the left of the point of attachment 18 to the carriage. By moving the upper end of the block to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, the lower end thereof is, of course, moved to the left to bring the hook 24 out of the path of the button 25, so that when tension on the skidding cable 12 is released, the tongs will be lowered, the skidding line having been brought towards the carriage by the slack pulling line suificiently to cause the weight of the tongs 26 or otherload attaching means to lower the end of the skidding line. Then when the load is attached, by winding up the skidding line and preventing movement of the carriage by the outhaul line, the load is raised and locked in its raised position as indicated in Fig. 2 in the described manner. Then the load maybe brought to the desired position by the skidding cable. The load may be released in the same manner asare the tongs in the-position above assumed, the skidding line first being placed under suiiicient tension to raise the button from the hook 24, then by placing the slack pulling line under tension, the block is tilted sufliciently to release the button 25 from the hook 24.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, there is no necessity of holding back on the outhaul cable when skidding in the load, as it is only necessary to take care of the slack on the outhaul rope under these conditions. This obviates the necessity for the expensive and wasteful method c0mmonly employed of interlocking drums where it is necessary to hold back on the outhaul cable when skidding in the load in order tomaintain the load in elevated position, and, therefore, results in'a great saving in powerand wear and tear on the system.

While I have illustrated my invention in connection with a'one-part carriage, it will be understood that the same is equally applicable to a two-part carriage such as shown, for example, in my application-filed of even date, Serial No. 189,204. In the system there illustrated, the carriage is divided into an upper and a lower section laced together by the end of the outhaul cable, so that in case the outhaul cable, which controls the speed of the carriage in down-hill skidding, breaks, the lower section of the carriage separates from the upper section and permits the load which is locked to the carriage to drop to the ground.

I claim:

1. In a hoisting and conveying device, a cable, a carriage adapted to traverse the same, said carriage being provided with a sheave, a hoisting and skidding cable passing over said sheave, a member pivotally mounted on said carriage and provided with a hook and with a sheave over which the skidding cable passes, a sheave mounted on said memher at one side of its pivot, said skidding cable being provided with a button adapted to engage said hook, an outhaul cable connected to said carriage, a slack pulling cable passing over the sheave mounted on said member, whereby said member may be tilted by exerting a tension on said slack pulling cable, when said button has been raised from said hook by said skidding cable.

2. In a hoisting and conveying device, a cable, a carriage adapted to traverse the same, said carriage comprising a tiltable block provided with a sheave, a hoisting and skidding cable passing over said sheave, a member pivotally mounted on said carriage and provided with a hook and with a sheave over which the skidding cable passes, a sheave mounted on said member at one side of its pivot, said skidding cable being provided with a button adapted to engage said book, an outhaul cable connected to said carriage, a slack pulling cable passing over the sheave which is mounted on said member, whereby said member may be tilted by exerting a tencable passing over said sheave, said tiltable block being provided with two pivotally mounted spaced plates formed at their lower ends with a hook, and with an upper sheave and a lower sheave mounted therebetween, said skidding cable passing over said lower sheave and being provided with a button adapted to engage said hook, and means comprising a slack pulling cable passing over said upper sheave mounted between said plates, whereby said plates may be tilted by exerting a tension on said slack pulling cable.

4. In a hoisting and conveying device, a cable, a carriage adapted to traverse the same, said carriage comprising a tiltable block attached thereto, said block being provided with a pair of spaced plates pivotally connected to said tiltable block, the lower ends of said plates forming a hook, sheaves mounted between said plates at either end thereof and at the sides of the pivotal mounting of said plates, said tiltable block being provided with a third sheave, a hoisting and skidding cable passing over said third sheave and also over the lower sheave mounted between said plates, said hoisting and skidding cable being provided with a button adapted to engage said hook, and a slack pulling cable passing over the sheave mounted betweenthe upper ends of said plates, whereby the exertion of a tension on said slack pulling cable tilts said plates. I

5. In a hoisting and conveying device, a cable, a carriage adapted to traversethe same, said carriage comprising a tiltable block attached thereto, said block being provided with a pair of spaced plates pivotally connected to said tiltable block, the lower ends of said plates forming a hook, sheaves mounted between said plates at their upper and lower ends, respectively, and at the sides of the pivotal mounting of said plates, said tiltable block being provided with a third sheave, a hoisting and skidding cable passing over said third sheave and also over the lower sheave mounted between said plates, said hoisting and skidding cable being provided with a button adapted to engage said hook, a slack pulling sheave mounted on said carriage, and a slack pulling cable passing over said lastnientioned sheave, thence over the upper sheave between said plates and back over said slack pulling sheave, whereby tension on said slack pulling cable tilts said block.

JOSEPH I-I. DICKINSON. 

